


Holiroach

by SkipBack



Series: Scenarios Timeline [2]
Category: Invader Zim
Genre: Fluffy, but it's at least, i guess, sorry for the lack of informative tags, yyayyyyy christmas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:02:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28150584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkipBack/pseuds/SkipBack
Summary: "Do you have a reason for not liking Christmas?""I just... don't have any feelings towards it. It's not necessarily weird to dislike Christmas."
Relationships: Keef/Zib | Zim Number1, but it's soft - Relationship, i guess that makes sense - Relationship
Series: Scenarios Timeline [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1790731
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	Holiroach

**Author's Note:**

> **!~ NOTES BEFORE YOU GET INTO THE STORY ~!**
> 
> merry chrysler, here's a festive story from your deer friend zeisty.
> 
> Okay, so normally I wouldn't write anything surrounding Christmas or y'know... any holiday, but since the Scenarios Timeline demanded it, here's this story I guess. Basically, Zib has started to develop Feelings™ towards his friend Keef, and it turns out ending up under mistletoe (or I think holly?) isn't helping him with staying oblivious to those Feelings™ much longer.
> 
> Also can I mention that _Return of the Cockroach,_ _Roachbreak_ and _Holiroach_ were stand-ins until I could think of a better title, but then they BECAME the title? Just... any time you see any sort of title surrounding the word "cockroach" for my stories, they were just for shits and giggles, but then I decided "well, why not?" 
> 
> And just a heads up, I'm not writing these scenarios with a set order in mind. You probably know that already.
> 
> (please be aware that prior to writing holiroach, i havent watched the iz christmas special. so. yeah. i mean ive watched the halloween special but not the christmas one. my priorities are outta wack.)

Zib never really considered himself a fan of the holidays. 

It wasn't that he hated Christmas, or any holiday around this time of year. He just... never cared for it. Maybe it was because he was busy with other things. He really didn't know. This definitely was his first time celebrating it in another timeline, though. He probably should have some feelings about it, but even now he didn't really care for Christmas, although he didn't have anything to keep him busy. 

Then there was Keef. 

To be expected, the ginger was overenthusiastic about Christmas. He talked about it as though it was the best thing to ever exist in any timeline, bouncing on the balls of his feet like an excited puppy, his green eyes bright and almost sparkling. And, as it steadily drew nearer, Keef was insistent on wearing oversized Christmas sweaters. He was absolutely drowning in them, but he didn't really seem to mind. The current one he wore was red with white stripes on the arms, an obnoxious Christmas tree on the stomach. 

And though he seemed to be appalled by the idea someone could not care about the holidays, Keef was still excited to be celebrating Christmas with a friend this year. 

Especially considering that, apparently, this was one of the rare few times where the school was actually allowing students to decorate a tree in the front hall for the occasion. Only a small handful of students wanted to do it... but _of course_ Keef dragged Zib into decorating it with him. They were the bestest friends of all time. _Of course_ Zib would decorate a tree with Keef. 

By this point, they were almost done. The other students had gotten bored of it, so they'd just left halfway through. At that point, Keef had been strangely quiet, but by now Zib knew him well enough to know that when he was quiet, he was debating on whether or not he should ask a question... though in the end, he would. His curiosity almost rivaled the natural curiosity of both Dib and Zib. 

"So... do you have a reason for not liking Christmas?" 

"It's not that I don't like it," Zib corrected the ginger, carefully examining a red ornament. "I just... don't have any feelings towards it, that's all." He placed the ornament on the nearest branch. "It's not necessarily weird to dislike Christmas, Keef." 

"I know," Keef said. "It's just that I've never met anyone who didn't love Christmas. Not counting the people who don't celebrate it because they actually celebrate a different holiday, of course. That'd be a little... insensitive? Offensive? I dunno, but I've always thought people either liked or loved the holidays, not anyone who doesn't care about them at all." He lowered his voice, glancing away. "Until you." 

Zib rolled his eyes. "Well, gee. I'm a first for everything, aren't I?" 

"That's not a bad thing!" Keef exclaimed, almost startled. "I'm just saying! Everyone I know loves or likes Christmas, but you... you don't really have an opinion on it. To you, it just happens, and that's it." 

"I didn't say it was a bad thing," Zib said, lightly amused. "No one said being the first is a _bad thing._ " 

"I mean... there's a saying that kinda goes _first the worst—_ " 

"Let's forget about that," Zib told him. "Sometimes being the first is, uhh... not the worst. I mean, being in first place is the greatest feeling. Y'know? It's like you're on top of the world. You're indestructible, even. But then you get too cocky, and then you ruin everything for everyone, so maybe being the first actually _is_ the worst." He sighed, letting his gaze fall to the floor, his heart heavy. "Maybe something _is_ wrong with you." 

Keef was silent for a second, his lips pursed, before reaching out to gently place a hand on Zib's shoulder. Made eye contact for a few heartbeats before he flashed him a smile for reassurance. Despite some part of him not really wanting to, Zib found himself smiling back. Not one those far-too-wide, false overconfident smiles of his. One of his more smaller, frankly awkward smiles. 

He seemed to be smiling like that a lot lately. 

No idea what was up with that. 

Best not to think into it. 

After a minute, Keef gave his shoulder a friendly squeeze before letting his hand drop to his side, green eyes looking the tree over. "Think that's enough? I can never tell. I just go overboard with decorating the tree, which I think is why we've actually stopped putting trees up at home, because they're usually more ornament than tree when I get my hands on them. I mean... I'd put more on, but y'know. I think everyone else would like to see the tree." 

Zib shrugged. "I'd say so. Not that I'm any really help with that sort of thing." 

"We could probably put the star on the tree. But, I mean... neither of us can reach. I don't think anyone can reach up there." 

"Maybe except for Ms. Bitters." 

Keef looked down at his shoes. "Could she?" 

"I honestly wouldn't be surprised," Zib stated, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Anyway... if you're done here, we can probably head back to class now. But y'know. It's up to you." 

The redhead gave the tree a thoughtful look before eventually nodding. "Yeah. I'd say that's enough." 

As the two began heading back, Zib piped up: "Not allowed to put trees up at home, huh?" 

Keef of course exclaimed at that, quickly correcting him; it's not that they weren't allowed to put a tree up home, it was just that they had to stop due to Keef's bad habit of decorating the tree until you could barely see the tree itself anymore. 

Zib wondered how one could decorate a tree until you couldn't see it. Keef told him it just took skill. And time. Apparently, it took no practice to do that. You just had to lose yourself in the flow of decorating. 

Zib said he'd try that some time. Keef gently punched his arm for that. 

He eventually decided to let Keef start rambling, choosing to take their time with heading back to class. Though Zib stopped really listening to Keef, more letting the words go in one ear and out the other. He decided to just... take notice of things. The ginger was so... enthusiastic. Even the Keef in Zib's timeline hadn't been _this_ cheerful and optimistic. 

Though before he really knew it, Keef was glancing up at the ceiling. The ginger's eyes practically bugged out of his head, and before Zib could blink, Keef had lunged forward, hands on Zib's shoulders, appearing as though he'd just seen a ghost. 

"Zib." 

"What?" 

"Zib!" 

"WHAT?" 

"Look!" 

Keef pointed up at the ceiling above them. Zib unhurriedly looked up, noticing a strange little plant dangling from the ceiling. 

Now, Zib was sure there was another name for it. Whatever it was, he couldn't remember what it exactly was. But the only name he knew for it was "mistletoe." Now who put that up there and why it was there would probably always be a mystery to him. 

"That's... no good," Zib said simply. 

"We gotta." 

Zib made eye contact with Keef, confused. "We've got to... what?" 

"Kiss." 

His brain completely stopped, feeling as though it'd run right into a brick wall. There was only a few ways one could respond to that, and Zib's was: 

"HOW ABOUT YOU KISS MY _BUTT._ " 

"I didn't mean on the lips!" Keef exclaimed. "Obviously not! Why would we? We're friends!" 

"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't pick up on that! What did you mean then, huh? The hand?" 

"...the cheek?" 

"DO YOU HAVE A DEATH WISH?" 

"Zib, it's fine! I can just... kiss you on the cheek, and that'll be it. You don't even have to do it!" 

"I WILL MAKE YOUR DEATH SLOW AND PAINFUL." 

"Zib, c'mon," Keef pleaded. "The quicker we get this over with, the faster we can forget ever happened. Please? This has never really happened to me before. That... I mean technically it sounds like I'm pressuring you but please I promise this'll be the only time if this happens again which I'm sure it won't but if we do end up under mistletoe again we can just...." He took a deep breath. "Not kiss. Sound fair?" 

Zib thought about it. Really, really, really thought about it. Like, he thought about it so hard that if he were to start thinking about it harder, his brain would instantly explode. 

His answer was still no. 

But Keef's eyes were pleading, sorta kinda maybe reminding him of a pouty puppy, and... gaahhhhh. EMOTIONS! If he could, he'd take his softer and squishier emotions, and put 'em all in a box, and then just stab 'em all to death. 

"Fine," he growled. "But we never talk about this. Ever. I'm serious, Keef. If you ever talk about this, I will surgically implant crabs into your knees. And then stab 'em with pencils." 

Keef didn't seem to let that bother him. In an act that seemed similar to ripping a bandaid off, or as though he'd die if he did it for longer than one second at a time, the redheaded boy quickly planted a kiss on Zib's cheek. Zib staggered back into the wall, clutching his chest, his heart thundering in what was left of his ears, his entire face hot. 

_What the...?_

Keef snorted, snickering as though he was desperately trying not to laugh, but he was failing at it. He probably thought Zib was just being dramatic. "Oh, come on, it wasn't _that_ bad," he said. 

"N-no, it's just...." Zib's mouth snapped shut. He didn't just stutter... did he? He, of the Membrane brothers, was the more confident one, even if that confidence was false at times. It wasn't out of place to see Dib stuttering, but to see _Zib_ stammer even once... it was as though the multiverse itself was out of balance. 

Keef's previous amusement was replaced with concern. "Whoa, jeez," he said. "Y'alright, Zib?" 

Zib shook his head when the ginger reached out, probably either to rest a hand on his shoulder or his forehead. "I-I don't... poison?" He could have been poisoned. But nothing hadn't been out of the ordinary... and admittedly, he'd kind of forgotten to eat today. Besides, who'd poison a child? "O-or maybe I-I'm just... a little under the weather. Y-yeah, that's it." _Probably,_ he thought but didn't say. 

Keef pursed his lips. "You're sure?" 

"Well, c-could be something else, b-but for the time being, I, uhh... I-I'm five — no, jeez — fifty-five percent p-positive it's just th-that I'm... yes." 

He was probably gonna have to ask someone if _sounding like an idiot_ was a valid symptom for being sick. 

Keef didn't look entirely convinced. "You should go home." 

"What? No! Keef, I'm fine." Zib pulled his back off the wall, keeping his anxiety buried under his usual false confidence, a smile gliding onto his face with ease. "See? Besides, it's... almost home time, anyway. I can wait, y'know? I-I'll be fine. It's nothing. It'll blow over, in, like... a few days. Promise." 

Though still not convinced, Keef pursed his lips again and gave a slow nod. "If you say so." 

Zib noticed Keef only ever pursed his lips when he was worried or concerned. He couldn't remember when he'd started doing that, or if it was something he'd been doing for months and Zib had was only noticing it now. Zib's heart felt weighed down, his overconfident smile slipping. It felt crooked, which only seemed to worry the ginger even more. 

He didn't like it when Keef was worried about him. Rather hated it, actually. 

"Keef," Zib said. "Please, you gotta trust me on this one." Hesitantly, he rested a hand on Keef's shoulder. "You know me. Nothing can slow Zibromide Membrane down. Not the wind, not the snow, and certainly not some silly sickness!" 

Keef snorted. "Zibromide?" 

Zib felt his face heat up again, his heart somersaulting in his chest, his arm falling by his side. "W-well... why not? I mean, well, uhhh...." Oh, he was just digging his own grave here, wasn't he? 

Keef reached out to squeeze Zib's shoulder, which only caused his heart to pick up the pace, his palms suddenly sweaty. "Take it easy, _Zibromide._ " 

"Y-you're never gonna let me down for that... are you?" 

"Probably not." 

Zib heaved a suffering sigh. "Merry Christmas, I guess."

**Author's Note:**

> One of these days, Keef's gonna give Zib the shoulder touch.
> 
> Speaking of which, I like the idea that Keef's always placed a hand on Zib's shoulder when he's sad. Zib's taken that as a symbol of just... love and comfort and overall just that Keef cares about him. But then there's this line, which can be found in _Roachbreak:_
> 
> "Keef sighed, reaching out to place a hand on Zib's shoulder, pulling it back to his chest as though he'd been burned when a pained whine was heard."
> 
> How can Keef still care about him? Zib's sure he screwed everything up, so how can Keef still love and care about him? Especially when he looks like a straight up mess? Keef doesn't see it that way. 
> 
> So pretty much, I really like the idea that no matter what happens between these two in the Scenarios Timeline, Keef'll never stop sending Zib love and affection.


End file.
